Foreign Policy Regarding Sri Lanka
Posted on September 9th, 2012
Ira de Silva London, Canada
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Prime Minister of India
South Block, Raisina Hill
New Delhi, India-110 011
Dear Sir:
I amƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ writing to youƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ regarding your government’s inaction, impotence and silence regarding the racist, venomous and inhuman behaviour ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Ms. Jayalalithaa,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, as illustrated byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ her attitude and treatment of pilgrims, schoolboys and other Sri Lankan visitors to Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu is a state of India and the world believes that it is the Central Government that still decides on India’s foreign policy. Have you changedƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that policy and transferred foreign policy to the states? If not, why are you permittingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil Nadu to refuse entry (one batch of pilgrims were refused entry at the airport),ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ do nothing to protect pilgrims and other visitors from Sri Lanka who come with valid visas issued by your government and make no public statement that the Indian Government will take action to stop these illegal acts by Ms. Jayalalithaa.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is no secret that it is the pro-LTTE politicians of Tamil Nadu that are instigating these acts of violence against Sri Lankans. Does your silence indicate that you are still working with Tamil Nadu to terrorise and destabilize Sri Lanka?.
As you are aware, Ms. Jayalalitha is constantly making anti Sri Lanka statements pretending to do so because of her supposed concern for Tamils in Sri Lanka.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ To show her “concern” for the Tamils of Sri Lanka she constantly encourages fisherman of Tamil Nadu to violate internationalƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ law andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ fish in Sri Lankan waters thereby depriving the very Sri Lankan Tamils she is crying about of their livelihood. Further, while she claims that the Tamils of Sri Lanka are suffering hardship, she refuses to acknowledge that they are far better off socially, economically and have freedoms that she denies to her citizens on the basis of caste, creed and social standing.
I would like to bring the following to your attention and ask for action by your Government.
Ms. Jayalilithaa demands that India stop “training” Sri Lankan military personnel. The only military training that India provided wasƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to the LTTE terrorists in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in India.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That is a proven fact. ItƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ was part of Indian policy to destabilize Sri Lanka by developing the LTTE as terrorists and supporting them together with Tamil Nadu.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Today, these “training” seminars are for several countries, not just Sri Lanka. Your inaction indicates that you are exempting Tamil Nadu when it comes to Sri Lankan policy and that these pro-LTTE elements are acting with your government’s blessing or direction. Is that your foreign policy towards Sri Lanka?
Regarding India’s foreign policy on Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu and the Central Government worked in tandem to support the LTTE and terrorise Sri Lanka. Is it because of that alliance that you are permitting Tamil Nadu to dictate your policy on Sri Lanka?ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Article 256 of your constitution vestsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India’s foreign policy in the Central Government? If any state government does not follow the rules of the Central Government are you not vested with the power to impose President’s rule? Why are you not doing so with Tamil Nadu?
Is it not the responsibility of the Indian Government to ensure the safety of visitors to any part of India? In these latest acts of terrorism against visiting Sri Lankan pilgrims andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ schoolboys,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it is obvious that they are by pro-LTTE elements in Tamil NaduƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ supported by Ms. Jayalalithaa and Mr. Karunadhdhi. Pilgrims are attacked in churches and on public roads. Hotels are surrounded by the goons of Tamil Nadu politicians. Hotels are told to get rid of Sri Lankan workers (thereƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ was only one and he was a Tamil). In all this theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ state police are on the sidelines andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Central Government is silent and takes no action. Have you abdicated your power to the state government?
In similar situations elsewhere in the world the actions taken by governments whose citizens are harassed in this mannerƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ is that consular offices are closed, staff recalled, travel advisories made warning people that they can expect a hostile reception if they chose to go and trade embargo’s are imposed.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In this instance only a travel advisory has been issued. Are you signalling to Sri Lanka that visitors and businessmen from Tanil Nadu should be stopped. Sri Lankans hope that it’s government will take this message seriously and prevent the hordes of people from Tamil Nadu coming to Sri Lanka particularly those who India is promoting to replace Sri Lankan labour.
The Sri Lankan Government states that on matters of foreign policy it deals only with the Central Government and tries to tell it’s citizens that India is a “friendly neighbour”. All Sri Lankans know that it is just “diplomatic doublespeak”.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ India is not a friendly neighbour and has proved that over and over again.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is time for the Sri Lankan people to do what they can to protect themselves fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil Nadu’sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ aggression and intimidation. It is time for them to demand that until and unless Ms. Jayalilithaa issues an apology to Sri Lankans regarding her recent behaviour and states that she will stop her aggression and terrorism against Sri Lankans they willƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ notƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ spend their hard earned money to travel to Tamil Nadu andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ not buy anything from Tamil Nadu, particularlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the large number of Tamil traders in Sri Lanka as well as tourists who spend thousands on their frequent visits to India. As a gesture of goodwillƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and a signal of reconciliation, Tamil Nadu should reimburse the pilgrims, schoolboysƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and others affected byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the latest acts of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ terrorism. That is the least Tamil Nadu can do and should do considering the fact thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in the pastƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ funding for the LTTE was approved by the government of Tamil Nadu. Similar action by the Central Government would remedy the wrongs committed by it against the Sri Lankan people.
News reports indicate that the President of Sri Lanka has been invited to visit Madhya Pradesh. That should provide you with the opportunity to offer a public apology and a statement that in future Indian/Tamil Nadu aggression against Sri Lanka will not take place.
Yours truly,
Ira de Silva
London, Canada
September 9th, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Although India is our ENEMY, Tamil Madu is ENEMY #1. There are LESSER enemies in India.
It is a good move for SL to appoint high commissioners to other states of India. Just like India that has a separate HC for Jaffna.
Divide our relationship with EACH key state in India. That way we can BYPASS Tamil Madu and general Indian BS.
September 9th, 2012 at 2:41 pm
Ira, you are absolutely right to ask Mr. Manmohan Singh whether he has abdicated his foreign policy powers to the LTTE terrorist leader in India, Jayalalitha. We all thank you for raising this very pertinent question with him.
Notwithstanding this however, it is the GOSL that should officially take this with the govt. of India, as we have had enough and it is really enough with the children, soldiers and the fishermen!. Hopefully the visit of MR to India would help to articulate this to Mr. Singh in a face to face fashion. We can then truly see whether his India is our friend or just a bully.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:11 pm
“Ms. Jayalilithaa demands that India stop “training” Sri Lankan military personnel. The only military training that India provided was to the LTTE terrorists in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in India. That is a proven fact. ”
Sri lanka will be a slave to India unless India is forced to acknowledge and say sorry to above fact.
Our leaders ( if any) should work towards this.
September 10th, 2012 at 12:58 am
Tamil Nadu is a client state of the US now. This is the reason that Hillary Clinton made that special trip to Madras. Since that trip all TN politicians have become very belligerent. Manmohan Sing and other US lap dogs have little say in what will happen in India from now onwards.
September 10th, 2012 at 3:37 am
A very CORRECT cartoon about Jayalalitha and Manmoron.
http://groundviews.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Screen-Shot-2012-09-09-at-8.00.33-PM.jpg
Well done!
Groundviews clowns have gone mad.
September 10th, 2012 at 4:31 am
I am telling all these years that India is not our friend and never will be our friend. Those days are gone with the wind. How can a country who trained,harbours,financed terrorist organization like L.T.T.E can be our friend? They allowed thirty long years to destroy our beautiful country and to kill our innocent Sri Lankans in all faiths. Majority of our population dont treat these snakes as friends. We are fed up but what we can do. They are big and powerful only thing we can do is to boycott everything coming from Tamil Nadu including banning all films of that prostitute and send a strong message to the central Government of India from our Government to hands off Sri Lankans who visits India. We are decent people not like those beggars in Tamil Nadu corrupt,vulger hypocrits who sucks the American white dogs asses.
Our people must organize protests in the North,East,south and west against this unneccessary harasment of our peoples by this starlet bitch. This is the country which has the largest out door toilet in the world. This was in the news last week. Shameless India.